Insulating-board and method of producing the same.



n SATES PATENT onnro 1;.

JAMES E. LAPPEN, OF WINONA, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO UNION FIBRE COMPANY, OF WINONA, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

No Drawing.

T dll'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. LAPPEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Winona, in the county of Winona and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulating-Boards and Methods of Producing the Same, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to improvements in insulating boards and the method of producing the same, its object being to provide an improved heat and sound insulating material which can be formed into self sustaining boards or slabs capable of retaining the shape initially given them, which shall be fire resisting and water repellent, which will not itself become discolored nor discolor plaster or other substances it may come in contact with, and which shall be cheap and easy to make.

The material produced by the presentinvention is, broadly speaking, a composition of mineral wool and vegetable fiber with other ingredients. As heretofore made such compositions have been-composed of mineral wool, de-gummed flax fiber, and a binder of paper stock or of the gums naturally present in the flax; But paper stock is too exensive, and the natural gums of the flax ecome discolored and discolor the plaster laid against the board.

In carrying out the invention I take about three thousand pounds of flax straw and six hundred, to nine hundred pounds of some vegetable substance like wheat, cats, or rye straw which has a very short fiber, and no pecto-cellulose, and cook the same in an alkali solution soften the vegetable tissue. The proportions of these ingredients can be varied within wide limits but I have obtained the best results by using them in about the proportions stated. I then take about five hundred pounds of this stock, wash it thoroughly to wash away all gummy matter commg from or adhering to the flax, and beat it in water in an ordinary paper mill heater to about the consistency of half stock, that is, until the short-fibered strawhas been partiallypulped. I then beat it to about the boiling point, ad

about "forty pounds of petroleum tailings (wax from crude oil), and twenty pounds of crude parafiin wax, and agitate the m1xture by beating or otherwise so as to mix the ingredients and distribute the now melted I Specification of Letters Patent.

.out the stock.

to de-gum the flax straw and understood that Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Application filed May 15, 1913. Serial No. 767,857.

petroleum tailings and paraifin wax through- I then add about five hundred pounds of mineral wool and beat it up with the other ingredients until it becomes thoroughly mixed therewith. I then add from seven to ten pounds of'alum in order to set the tailings and parafliri wax to the vegetable stock and the wool fibers, and

agitate the mixture. "The product can then be molded into boards or slabs of any desired shape or size. The boards are then put into a kiln to dry out the moisture.

The product thus made will have high heat and sound insulating properties, be-

cause of the retention of the flax shives, which make air cells, while the wheat, oats, or rye straw acts as a filler and binder. This straw is so much softer than the flax that it will be beaten up into a mushy or pulpy state while the flax shives, being hard, and

the flax fiber, being tough, will hold their natural form. The mushy straw serves partially to seal the ends of the tubular flax fibers, and thus increase the waterproof character of the" product; it also binds the materials together soas to make a harder and stronger board, and holds the petroleum tailings and wax from running out with the water' in molding, because these substances adhere more readily to the s'trawsthan to the flax shives and fibers'and the mineral wool.

The mineral woolforms the skeleton or structural framework of the product and serves to keep the vegetable fibers and tissues apart, so that the mass will not sag when the water drains out, but will stand up to the thickness at which it comes out of the mold. It is essential that the finished board should be uniform-inthickne'ss for it is meant to be used upon walls like boards. The mineral wool also serves to make the board fire resisting.

The petroleum tailings and paraflin wax serve not only as a waterproofing agent but as a binder and stifiener, for being mixed" with the stock in heated and melted condition they permeate the fibrous mass, and then hardness to the same. i

While I find that the best results are obtained by using the ingredients in the proportions given in these proportions can be varied somewhat without materially altering the specification, I wish it the nature of the process or the character of the product produced.

I claim as my invention'z' l. The method of producing insulating boards which consists in mixing melted petroleum tailings, paraflin wax, mineral wool, and alum with a watery stock of de-gummed flax fibers and shives and a partially pulped I short-fibered vegetable straw, and then forming the product into boards.

- 2. The method of producing insulating boards. which consists in first forming a watery stock of de-gummed flax fibers and shives and a partially pulped' short-fibered vegetable straw reduced to a mushy condition, then mixing the same with melted .pe-

troleum tailings and parafiin wax, and then adding mineral Wool and beating the mix: ture, then adding -alum and forming the 4. The method of producing insulating boards which consists in first forming a stock of de-gummed flax fibers and shives and a softened short-fibered vegetable straw, then mixing about five hundred pounds of this stock in water with about forty pounds of melted petroleum tailings, twenty pounds of crude paraflin wax, five hundred pounds of mineral .wool and about seven pounds of alumi and then forming the product into oar s. Y

.5.The method of producing insulating boards which consists in first forming a watery stock of de-gummed flax fibers and shives and a softened short-fibered vegetable straw and washing the same, and then mixing the stock in water-with an equal amount of mineral Wool and sulficient melted petroleum tailings and paraflin wax to impregnate the mass, then adding alum and finallyforming the product into boards.

6. The method of producing insulating boards which consists in first forming a stock containing a major amount of de-gummed flax fiber and shives and a minor amount of softened short-fibered vegetable straw, then mixing this stock in water with approximately an equal amount ofmineral wool and a smaller amount of melted petroleum tailings, paraflin Wax, and alum, and then forming the product into boards.

7. An insulating board consisting of degummed flax fibers and shives and shortfibered straw intimately associated, mineral wool mixed with said intimately associated fibers, shives and straw, and petroleum tailings and parafiin wax impregnating and stiffening the self-sustaining body formed by the fibers, shives, straw and mineral wool.

- 8. As a new article of manufacture, a selfsustaining water repellent insulating board consisting of a stock containing a major amount of de-gummed flax fibers and shives and a minor amount of broken short fibered' vegetable straw, intimately intermingled with mineral wool and alum, the whole mass being impregnated with and stiffened by petroleum tailings and parafiin wax,

In testimony whereof I afiix my slgnature in presence of two witnesses.

I JAMES E. LAPPEN.

Witnesses I ARTHUR P. LOTHROP, H. SWANSON. 

